BQE TRIPLE CANTILEVER

Importance to Regional Truck Activity May 2019

nyc.gov/dot 1 As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents Background

nyc.gov/dot 2 As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents INTER-BOROUGH & REGIONAL TRUCK TRIPS

• Between 2011 and 2018:

• Volumes of larger tractor-trailers on most regional bridges have 3 either declined or remained stable, while single-unit trucks increased during this time. 1 • Tolled passenger car traffic on the George 5 increased 2.5% from 46.1 million to 47.3 million vehicles, and commercial traffic remained stable at 3.8 million vehicles per year. 7 • Tolled passenger car traffic on the Mario Cuomo Bridge (Tappan Zee) increased 9.7% from 22.6 million to 24.8 million vehicles, and commercial traffic increased 71.4% from 1.4 million to 2.4 million 2 vehicles per year. • The increased regional presence of the Mario Cuomo Bridge for 6 trucks has implications for truck travel on regional highways including the BQE. 4 • Trucks made up an average of 8.3% of all total inter-borough crossings • 17,844 average daily trucks on BQE triple cantilever, which has bi- directional truck volumes comparable to the region’s most important 8 bridges

TOP TRUCK CROSSINGS INTO & OUT OF NYC: TOP INTER-BOROUGH TRUCK CROSSINGS: 1. 31,764: The (GWB) 5. 37,078: Alexander Hamilton Bridge 2. 16,966: The Long Island Expressway (LIE) 6. 19,657: 3. 8,852: New England Thruway 7. 13,929: 4. 8,514: 8. 12,368: Verrazano-Narrows Bridge nyc.gov/dot 3 As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents GROWTH ON VERRAZANO-NARROWS BRIDGE

Truck Volumes

• The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (VNB) is one of the Annual Truck Volume & Percent Change on VNB (2015-2018) major feeder crossings for BQE truck traffic. Truck Type • 6% (12,652) of the 202,523 vehicles using the VNB daily are trucks. Between 2015 and 2018, overall traffic Total Trucks volume on the VNB increased by 12%; truck traffic increased by 21% over the same period. 2-axle 3-axle 4-axle 5-axle 6-axle All Axles

. 58% (7,372) of the total daily truck traffic is inbound 2015 2,087,398 389,210 241,112 927,904 37,030 3,688,166 (eastbound), and 42% (5,280) of it is outbound (westbound), with even greater directional imbalances 2,185,946 473,208 266,786 908,806 34,926 3,877,960 2016 during peak hours and for larger trucks. +5% +22% +11% -2% -6% +5%

. Eastbound (inbound) truck peak: 9 – 10 AM 2,350,138 513,522 277,798 961,368 29,338 4,136,822 2017 . Westbound (outbound) truck peak: 10 – 11 AM +8% +9% +4% +6% -16% +7%

2,467,832 587,946 332,444 1,015,512 34,356 4,444,342 • This imbalance is at least partly caused by existing 2018 commercial tolls, which can range from $34 for 2 axle +5% +14% +20% +6% +17% +7% trucks to $132 for 7 axle trucks, are only administered for westbound traffic entering . nyc.gov/dot 4 As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents Origin-Destination Analysis Methodology

nyc.gov/dot 5 As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents METHODOLOGY Analysis of INRIX Commercial GPS sources with Streetlight Insights • Origin-destination (OD) analysis was performed using commercial GPS sources from INRIX data and were analyzed through Streetlight Insights platform • This analysis includes commercial GPS data from trips starting an ending within 25 miles of NYC (the limits of NYCDOT’s subscription with Streetlight Insights); This analysis does not include trips starting or ending beyond the 25 miles limit • The AM peak period reflects the hours of 8am-9am, while the PM peak period corresponds to the hours of 2pm-3pm; these reflect the periods when commercial vehicle activity is greatest on the triple cantilever section of the BQE • Both Standard and Middle Filter OD analyses were conducted: • Standard OD analysis does not restrict the route trips take from beginning to the end of a trip (i.e. local streets, expressway, etc.) This analysis can be found in section 3. • Middle filter OD analysis restricts trips to a specified zone – they must pass through a certain zone to be included (i.e. a bridge, specific entrance ramp, etc.). In this case, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge was used as a filter zone. This analysis can be found in section 4.

nyc.gov/dot 6 As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents Standard Origin-Destination Analysis of BQE Triple Cantilever Activity

nyc.gov/dot 7 As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents BQE TRUCK ORIGIN-DESTINATION

On BQE Triple-Cantilever (Atlantic Ave to Sands St)

• The BQE is a critical inter-borough connection for all commercial vehicles and trips that either originate or are destined for or Long Island. • Trucks represent 12% of the 155,071 daily vehicles passing through the BQE triple-cantilever section. • Of the 17,844 daily trucks, 52% are inbound and 48% are outbound.

According to 2018 GPS data*: • 70% of AM inbound truck trips on the BQE (Atlantic to Sands) are coming from Staten Island and the Southwest IBZ (Sunset Park, Red Hook) destined primarily for Manhattan south of 59th, the Northern Brooklyn IBZ, the railyards in southern , Hunts Point, and JFK Airport. • 57% of PM outbound truck trips on this section are coming from the Northern Brooklyn IBZ, the railyards in southern Queens, Hunts Point, and JFK Airport destined primarily for the Southern Brooklyn IBZ and the west shore of Staten Island.

nyc.gov/dot *Data Source: Streetlight Insights 8 As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents AM Peak –Trip Origins Bound for the BQE within NYC • 89% of AM peak trips on the BQE Triple Cantilever (BQETC) start in Brooklyn and Staten Island • Almost 50% of the peak trips using the BQE start in Sunset Park area alone

% of Total Commercial Top 5 Neighborhood Origin Vehicle Activity Sunset Park West (BK) 48.23% Carroll Gardens-Columbia Street-Red Hook (BK) 15.54% Borough Park (BK) 3.51% Gravesend (BK) 2.38% Mariner's Harbor-Arlington-Port Ivory- Graniteville (SI) 1.76% Park Slope-Gowanus (BK) 1.76% % of Total Commercial All Other Neighborhood Origins* Vehicle Activity New Jersey Neighborhoods (NJ) 11.59% All Other Brooklyn Neighborhoods (BK)* 8.96% All Other Staten Island Neighborhoods (SI)* 6.28%

*Outside of the top 5 destinations noted in the above table, and aggregate of all other neighborhoods are tabulated within 25 mile limit of NYC 9 As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents AM Peak – Trip Origins Bound for the BQE from New Jersey

• During the AM peak, NJ generates less commercial vehicle activity in comparison to Staten Island and Brooklyn along the Jersey City (BQETC) • For trips starting in NJ, the top 5 Woodbridge neighborhoods account for 9% of trips on the (BQETC) E Brunswick Bayonne • These trips originate primarily from heavy truck areas/industrial clusters (namely, Perth Amboy manufacturing and freight distribution centers servicing NYC.

Hamilton Top 5 Neighborhood % of Total Commercial Vehicle Origins Activity Jersey City 3.24% East Brunswick 3.17% Perth Amboy 1.17% Bayonne 0.81% Woodbridge 0.52% Other New Jersey Mantua Neighborhoods 2.70%

As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents 10 AM Peak – Trip Destinations within NYC via the BQE

• Many commercial vehicle trips from the BQE are destined for IBZs (i.e. Maspeth and North Brooklyn, JFK), and Central Business Districts (CBDs) • During the AM Peak, 32% of trips from the BQE end in top 5 neighborhood destinations listed below.

% of Total Commercial Top 5 Neighborhood Destinations Vehicle Activity Chinatown (MN) 8.02% Bushwick South (BK) 7.76% Greenpoint (BK) 6.47% North Side-South Side (BK) 5.46% Hunters Point-Sunnyside-West Maspeth (QN) 4.40% % of Total All other Neighborhood Commercial Vehicle Destinations Activity Long Island Neighborhoods 4.38% Bronx Neighborhoods 2.02% Other Manhattan Neighborhoods 28.36% Other Queens Neighborhoods 18.89% Other Brooklyn Neighborhoods 14.24%

As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents 11 AM Peak – Trip Destinations Bound for Long Island via the BQE

Hauppauge Medford Port Washington Hicksville

Farmingdale Uniondale W Babylon

*All additional neighborhoods outside of the top 5 destinations noted in the above table

• During the AM peak, 4.4% of trips are destined for Top 5 Neighborhood % of Total Commercial Vehicle Long Island Destinations Activity Hauppauge 0.53% W Babylon 0.36% • 44% of Long Island bound trips from the BQE were Farmingdale 0.36% Hicksville 0.34% headed for the top 5 neighborhoods: Hauppauge, West Uniondale 0.34% Babylon, Farmingdale, Hicksville, Uniondale Other Long Island Neighborhoods 2.45%

As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents 12 PM Peak – Trip Origins from NYC Bound for the BQE

• Commercial vehicles traveling to the BQE during the PM peak largely originate from IBZ areas in Queens or Brooklyn (Maspeth, Long Island City, North Brooklyn, JFK, and CBDs

• Many trips to the BQE during the PM peak period are return trips from locations that were destinations during the AM peak

% of Total Top 5 Neighborhood Origins Commercial Vehicle Activity Bushwick South (BK) 8.20% Chinatown (MN) 6.79% North Side-South Side (BK) 6.44% Hunters Point-Sunnyside-West Maspeth (QN) 5.90% Williamsburg (BK) 5.63%

% of Total Commercial All other Neighborhood Origins Vehicle Activity Bronx Neighborhoods 5.12% Long Island Neighborhoods 3.70% Other Manhattan Neighborhoods 22.31% Other Brooklyn Neighborhoods 21.28% Other Queens Neighborhoods 14.61%

As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents 13 PM Peak – Trip Origins from Long Island Bound for the BQE

• Commercial vehicle trips from Long Island to the BQE are likely return trips (similar geographic destinations are observed in the AM peak) • During the PM peak, Long Island neighborhoods account for 3.7% of trips on the BQE. Coram • 60% of those trips originate from the Muttontown Holtsville Patchogue top 5 LI neighborhoods listed below

Uniondale Farmingdale Top 5 Neighborhoods % of Total Commercial Origins Vehicle Activity Coram 1.08% Muttontown 0.37% Farmingdale 0.27% Uniondale 0.27% Patchogue 0.25% Other Long Island Neighborhoods 1.46%

As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents 14 PM Peak – Trip Destinations within NYC via the BQE

• During the PM peak, 66% of trips from the BQE are destined for the Southwest Brooklyn IBZ, JFK and the West Shore of Staten Island • 86% of those trips were destined for the industrial areas along the Southwest Brooklyn waterfront

% of Total Commercial Top 5 Neighborhood Destinations Vehicle Activity Sunset Park West (BK) 37.28% Carroll Gardens-Columbia Street-Red Hook (BK) 16.33% Mariner's Harbor-Arlington-Port Ivory- Graniteville (SI) 5.58% Borough Park (BK) 3.87% New Springville-Bloomfield-Travis (SI) 2.81% % of Total Commercial All Other Neighborhood Destinations Vehicle Activity Manhattan Neighborhoods 1.66% Queens Neighborhoods 0.48% New Jersey Neighborhoods 15.25% Other Brooklyn Neighborhoods 13.80% Other Staten Island Neighborhoods 2.94%

As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents 15 PM Peak – Trip Destinations to NJ via the BQE

• During PM Peak, 15% of trips from the BQE are destined for NJ neighborhoods, most of which Jersey City are similar origins during the AM peak period Woodbridge • Top 5 NJ trip destinations account for more than 50% of all NJ trip destinations: Bayonne • Burlington E Brunswick • Jersey City • Bayonne • Woodbridge • East Brunswick Hamilton Top 5 Neighborhood % of Total Commercial Destinations Vehicle Activity Burlington 2.16% Jersey City 1.67% Bayonne 1.64% Woodbridge 1.59% Burlington East Brunswick 1.48% Other New Jersey Neighborhoods 6.71%

As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents 16 Origin-Destination Analysis: Commercial Trips that use the BQE and stay on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge

nyc.gov/dot 17 As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents AM Peak – Trip Origins Bound for the BQE via the Verrazzano

Jersey City North Shore IBZ Bedminster Bayonne

Carteret West Shore IBZ

Rossville IBZ E Brunswick Cranbury

% of Total Commercial Top 5 Neighborhoods Origins Vehicle Activity East Brunswick (NJ) 17.57% Jersey City (NJ) 14.87% Charleston-Richmond Valley-Tottenville • During the AM peak, 5 neighborhood origins using the VNB (SI) 9.63% and BQE account for 58% of the trips; more than half of Mariner's Harbor-Arlington-Port Ivory- Graniteville (SI) 9.15% those trips start in East Brunswick and Jersey City New Springville-Bloomfield-Travis (SI) 7.09%

As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents 18 AM Peak – Trip Destinations from the BQE via the Verrazzano

Jersey City

Bayonne

West Shore IBZ Carteret

Bedminster North Shore IBZ E Brunswick

Rossville IBZ Sayreville Cranbury

% of Total Commercial Top 5 Neighborhood Destinations Vehicle Activity New Springville-Bloomfield-Travis (SI) 10.74% • During the AM Peak, 41% of trips coming over the BQE and West New Brighton-New Brighton-St. George (SI) 10.14% VNB are destined for Staten Island Todt Hill-Emerson Hill-Heartland Village-Lighthouse Hill (SI) 7.02% • The spread of trips across Staten Island is greatest during Mariner's Harbor-Arlington-Port Ivory-Graniteville this time (SI) 6.42% Westerleigh (SI) 6.34%

As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents 19 PM Peak – Trip Origins Bound for the BQE via the Verrazzano

Jersey City

Bayonne North Shore IBZ

Piscataway

West Shore IBZ

E Brunswick Rossville IBZ Cranbury

% of Total Commercial Top 5 Neighborhood Origins Vehicle Activity Robbinsville Mariner's Harbor-Arlington-Port Ivory- Graniteville (SI) 11.71% • During the PM peak, the top 5 neighborhoods account for Jersey City (NJ) 9.75% 44% of the trip origins using the BQE/VNB in Staten Island West New Brighton-New Brighton-St. George (SI) 7.86% and NJ New Springville-Bloomfield-Travis (SI) 7.78% East Brunswick (NJ) 6.53%

As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents 20 PM Peak – Trip Destinations from the BQE via the Verrazzano

N Bergen

Jersey City

Bayonne North Shore IBZ Piscataway

Carteret West Shore IBZ

Rossville IBZ Sayreville Cranbury

% of Total Robbinsville Commercial Vehicle Top 5 Neighborhood Destinations Activity Mariner's Harbor-Arlington-Port Ivory- • During the PM peak, 5 neighborhoods in Staten Island and NJ account Graniteville (SI) 17.20% for 38% of the trip destinations using the BQE/VNB. East Brunswick (NJ) 5.76% • The spread of trips to NJ neighborhoods is greatest during this time Woodbridge (NJ) 5.41% Carteret (NJ) 5.00% period ranging as far North as North Bergen and south to Robbinsville Port Richmond (SI) 5.00%

As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents 21 ANALYSIS OF TRIPS VIA THE BQE & VNB

Findings

• The Verrazano Narrows Bridge is a critical connector for commercial vehicle intra-NYC trips as well as some neighboring NJ neighborhoods. • During the AM peak, Staten Island receives more commercial vehicle activity than NJ from the BQE, but NJ generates more trips that travel to the BQE • During the PM peak, there is a more even distribution of trips to/from the BQE from Staten Island and NJ • When looking at trips that ONLY travel to/from the BQE via the Verrazano, it is evident that IBZ areas of Staten Island and highly urban areas of New Jersey generate significant commercial vehicle activity

nyc.gov/dot 22 As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents QUESTIONS?

Prepared by Freight Mobility |Transportation Planning and Management Division

NYC DOT NYC DOT nyc_dot NYC DOT nyc.gov/dot 23 As presented to the BQE Expert Panel for informational/background purposes only. https://bqe-i278.com/en/expert-panel/documents